Others follow advice and imitate celebrities, but you start by pretending to be a god?

But now...

As Lü Dongbin's words spread, the people finally realized that the so-called agricultural deity did not come from the Li Tang imperial family, nor was it bestowed by the Tang emperor by heaven. Instead, it was obtained from Chechi, but its reputation was spread in a deceptive manner.

Once this claim spread, it naturally aroused great resentment among the people.

"It's clearly a divine object from Chechi, yet it's subject to such a large increase in taxes!"

"I heard that the tax in Chechi is only increased by one percent for every hundred taxes collected!"

"What do you mean by 'one in a hundred'? I heard that Chechi doesn't collect agricultural taxes at all!"

"What? No agricultural tax? How will the Chechi state continue to function?"

"You don't understand! Chechi not only doesn't collect agricultural taxes, but also actively distributes land to encourage people to plant crops, and even buys back grain at high prices!"

"Why?"

"This is because of Che Chi's 'idea of ​​Great Harmony'."

"The ideal of Great Harmony? Tell us about it!"

In this context, the Datong Society quietly took action, using the name of Chechi (a traditional Cantonese opera) to further promote its ideals.

Chechi was tens of thousands of miles away from the Tang Dynasty as the crow flies, a distance that ordinary people could hardly reach in their lifetime. How did those who spread the word know about this?
In fact, all this information about Che Chi was spread by Fang Han.

Fang Han, this time traveler, disguised modern scenes and ideas under the guise of a traditional Chinese musical performance, thereby spreading his Datong Society's ideal of equality for all.

This action, though accidental, inadvertently boosted Che Chi's reputation. And indeed, Che Chi has now reached that level.

Chen Maosheng stood alone in his backyard, lost in deep thought. He considered the potential chain reaction that Lü Dongbin's actions might trigger.

Without a doubt, these reactions were not good for the Tang Dynasty or for Li Shimin.

Conversely, this was undoubtedly a great thing for the Datong Society. It allowed them to take advantage of this time to grow and expand.

Moreover, during this period, the Li Tang royal family was too busy taking care of themselves to pay attention to them.

Just as Chen Maosheng was pondering this, a waiter suddenly came to report.

"Young master, there is a Taoist priest outside who wants to see you."

"He claimed to be a senior disciple of the young master's sect."

"An elder from the sect?" Chen Maosheng was full of doubts, and then asked the waiter to welcome the Taoist priest in.

Soon, Chen Maosheng met the Taoist priest.

"Uncle-Master Yuan?" Chen Maosheng recognized him at a glance; he was none other than Yuan Tiangang, the Imperial Astronomical Observatory of the Tang Dynasty.

At the same time, Yuan Tiangang was also a close friend of his master Li Chunfeng. The two of them collaborated to deduce the "Tui Bei Tu" and became famous throughout the ages.

Li Chunfeng once took Chen Maosheng to see Yuan Tiangang and told him that if he needed anything, he could ask Yuan Tiangang for help.

"Why has Uncle Yuan come here?" Chen Maosheng realized that Yuan Tiangang must have something important to discuss with him at this time.

As expected, Yuan Tiangang recounted the whole story.

"Looking for your master? You can't find your master, so you come looking for me?"

"What's the use of finding me? I may know Lü Dongbin, but he doesn't know me at all!"

Chen Maosheng scratched his head and immediately refused, saying, "As for meeting the Tang Emperor, forget it, there's nothing I can do about it."

Chen Maosheng felt a little guilty, for what he was doing now was an attempt to overthrow the Tang Dynasty.

Under such circumstances, how could he possibly follow Li Shimin's lead?

Yuan Tiangang nodded slightly, understanding Chen Maosheng's meaning, and told Chen Maosheng not to worry, as he would not reveal Chen Maosheng's identity.

Not long after, Chen Maosheng saw Yuan Tiangang off.

Having just seen Yuan Tiangang off, Chen Maosheng was about to turn back into the house when he suddenly noticed a young Taoist priest on the street staring at him.

The Taoist priest was exceptionally handsome, yet it seemed no one else noticed him. Chen Maosheng's eyes widened, his face filled with disbelief.

"Lü, Lü, Lü Dongbin?" He looked at the young Taoist priest in front of him, his voice trembling slightly with surprise.

The young Taoist priest before him looked only a few years older than him. At this moment, he stood quietly in the crowd, exuding an extraordinary and refined aura, yet the people around him seemed to ignore him.

However, Chen Maosheng saw it clearly. He not only saw the Taoist's appearance, but also keenly sensed that the other party was scrutinizing him with a critical gaze.

At the same time, he also recognized the Taoist priest's identity—it was none other than Lü Dongwei, the disciple of the Grand Master Junchi, who had recently soared above the palace on a giant dragon and whose voice resounded throughout the entire city of Chang'an!

For Chen Maosheng, the name "Lü Dongbin" is more than just a simple title. In Taoist legends, Lü Dongbin is the head of the Eight Immortals, revered as the Pure Yang Immortal, who founded a school within Taoism and became a patriarch-level figure. There are even rumors that he is the ancestor of sword immortals, the one who founded the sword immortal lineage, attracting countless cultivators.

At this moment, a big question welled up in Chen Maosheng's mind: "Why is he here?"

Just as he was filled with doubt, he saw Lü Dongbin take a step and slowly walk towards him. Although there was still some distance between them, Lü Dongbin took a single step and instantly arrived in front of him, as if the distance between them had been "dissolved" by his single step.

"Shrinking the earth to an inch?" Chen Maosheng was startled. This seemingly casual step made him realize that Lü Dongbin's Taoist magic and power had far exceeded his imagination.

Lu Dongbin approached Chen Maosheng, looked at him calmly, and slowly said, "It seems that you are also a reincarnator."

"Huh???" Chen Maosheng's heart was instantly filled with shock and disbelief. "A reincarnator? What does that mean? I'm not, I don't know!"

In fact, Chen Maosheng was naturally aware of the concept of "reincarnators," and the meaning was quite obvious from the literal meaning. But it was precisely because of this that he was so surprised and subconsciously denied it with a guilty conscience.

Lu Dongbin looked at Chen Maosheng with a calm expression and patiently explained, "Those who undergo reincarnation are those who enter the cycle of reincarnation but do not fall into it. Although they experience reincarnation, they are able to preserve their memories and talents."

After speaking, Lü Dongbin looked at Chen Maosheng again and asked, "Could it be that you aren't?" This time, Chen Maosheng fell silent. He knew in his heart that he could no longer deny this fact. However, his heart was still filled with doubts. How did Lü Dongbin know all this, and how could he see through this layer of his identity?

“Those who hold the mark of the Lesser Cycle of Reincarnation will enter the cycle of reincarnation and will not fall back into it,” Lü Dongbin continued.

As he finished speaking, he slowly extended a hand and pointed it at Chen Maosheng.

Chen Maosheng saw it clearly, but at this moment he had no time to react. He could only watch helplessly as the hand landed on his head, and a finger gently touched his forehead.

Before Chen Maosheng could even process what was happening, a deafening "boom" resounded in his mind, as if a thunderclap had exploded within him. Something in his mind and soul seemed to be instantly unlocked and awakened, and a flood of information rushed through his head.

Deep within his soul, a brand shone brightly. Chen Maosheng's heart stirred, and he instantly understood the name of this brand—"The Minor Reincarnation Brand"!
With a slight thought, he touched upon this small cycle of reincarnation. In an instant, a flood of functions surged into his mind.

Chen Maosheng finally understood the function of this small cycle of reincarnation mark. Simply put, it's like a terminal that can both search for information and communicate. It's like an old-fashioned feature phone, but with the added feature of "people nearby" on a modern mobile phone.

"So, the reason I retained my memories even after reincarnation was because of this minor reincarnation mark?" Chen Maosheng pondered to himself. "What about Fang Han? Was he also affected by the minor reincarnation mark? And who was the mastermind behind this minor reincarnation mark? How did Lü Dongbin know all this?"

Just as Chen Maosheng was filled with doubt, suddenly, the Lesser Reincarnation Mark in his soul began to glow and move rhythmically. This movement clearly told him that there were other people nearby who also possessed the "Lesser Reincarnation Mark".

"Hmm?" Chen Maosheng's expression instantly became extremely interesting. He couldn't help but blurt out, asking Lü Dongbin, "You...you are also a reincarnator?"

After all, Lü Dongbin was the only one in front of him at that moment, and the outcome was already self-evident. No wonder Chen Maosheng was so shocked.

However, to Chen Maosheng's surprise, Lü Dongbin slowly shook his head and said, "No, although I have the mark of minor reincarnation, I am not a reincarnator."

“This mark on me was bestowed upon me by my master,” Lü Dongbin said calmly, looking at Chen Maosheng.

With a whoosh, Lü Dongbin's words seemed to explode in Chen Maosheng's mind, making him incredibly clear-headed. The questions that had been nagging at him vanished instantly. A flash of insight struck him, and he vaguely understood the whole story.

A deep-seated memory surfaced in his mind. It was something that happened after he died in the modern world.

After his death, he was guided by the Ox-Head and Horse-Face guardians to a "small underworld" suppressed by the City God Temple. There, he was given a chance to be reincarnated. Chen Maosheng naturally did not miss this opportunity and seized it decisively.

Before he was reincarnated, he heard a Taoist say: "Those who recite my name will not fall into the cycle of reincarnation, and those who hold my Small Reincarnation Seal will be outstanding people in the next life."

Next, it was about Chen Maosheng's reincarnation.

"So that's how it is, so that's how it is." Chen Maosheng was filled with emotion. Everything—the mystery of time travel, the mystery of why there were other time travelers—was solved at this moment. He seemed to suddenly understand his past and present lives, and know the cause and effect.

"It's like waking from a dream; only today do I realize who I am," Chen Maosheng couldn't help but exclaim.

Lu Dongbin, seeing his appearance, was not surprised, but asked, "Have you come to understand your past life?"

"Understood." Chen Maosheng nodded. With a thought, he vaguely understood Lü Dongbin's purpose and even the deeper meaning behind Lü Dongbin's previous actions.

"So, the Grand Master of Chechi is both a senior and our benefactor," Chen Maosheng thought to himself. "We have come into this world to serve as his vanguard and gatekeeper."

Having figured all this out, Chen Maosheng solemnly asked Lü Dongbin, "I wonder if the master has anything to convey?"

“No.” Lü Dongbin shook his head and said to Chen Maosheng, “Master has no specific requirements.”

"The reason I was ordered to come to the Great Tang Dynasty in the East is not only to disrupt the 'face' of the Great Tang, but also to play a supporting role."

"To provide assistance?" Chen Maosheng was somewhat surprised by this answer and couldn't help but ask, "Do we, the reincarnated ones, not need you to be our guide?"

“No,” Lü Dongbin replied, “I am here to assist you, the transmigrators, who will take the lead.”

"To lead the way in this great Tang Dynasty and implement the great harmony among humankind!"

Meanwhile, during the years that Tang Sanzang and his disciples were left in Chechi Kingdom, Lin Nan never slacked off and persisted in his cultivation every day.

In order to perfect his state of "transforming the Three Flowers into the Three Pure Ones", he would prepare meticulously every week, burning incense and bathing, and then devoutly chanting the Yuanshi Tianzun Mantra in front of the Sanqing Hall.

Each incantation and incense offering was equivalent to a request for a visit for Lin Nan. With Lin Nan's current cultivation level and abilities, he could receive each of his requests, even if the Primordial Celestial Venerable were in the Outer Heaven beyond the Thirty-Three Heavens.

However, for several years in a row, Lin Nan burned incense and chanted incantations every week without interruption, but he never received a response from Yuanshi Tianzun.

But Lin Nan remained calm and persisted in this practice for several years.

Several years passed, three hundred and sixty-five cycles, equivalent to the chanting and sharing of the celestial numbers, before the Primordial Celestial Venerable finally responded. He summoned Lin Nan to the Mi Luo Palace for an audience.

Without any hesitation, Lin Nan set off alone on her journey to the Heavenly Court.

He entered the Heavenly Court through the South Heavenly Gate. The Heavenly King guarding the South Heavenly Gate and all the heavenly soldiers and generals treated him with utmost respect, addressing him as "Lord of the Dao."

After entering the Heavenly Court, the Heavenly Kings and other Heavenly Soldiers and Generals guarding the gates saw that Lin Nan did not head towards any palace, but instead went straight to a location outside the Thirty-Three Heavens.

This situation prompted even the heavenly soldiers guarding the gate to start discussing it.

"Judging from this direction, it seems to be heading towards the Three Pure Ones Heaven!"

"That's vaguely the location of the Mi Luo Palace, which is the Daoist temple of the Primordial Heavenly Lord!"

"Do you remember when the Dao Lord went to the Shangqing Sacred Realm last time?"

"It's not just the Shangqing Sacred Realm; it had already been with Laozi for a long time before that."

"The Supreme Purity Realm, the Great Purity Realm, the Jade Purity Realm... the Dao Lord has already visited them all!"

Only after they carefully recounted the events did they realize that Lin Nan had reached this point.

Now, Lin Nan, after entering the Heavenly Court, did not go to any of the magnificent palaces, but instead sped straight up towards the top of the Heavenly Court. His figure was like lightning, and in an instant he passed through the thirty-three heavens, reaching beyond the thirty-three heavens.

Along the way, whether they were majestic celestial gods or beautiful fairies or heroic heavenly soldiers, they all treated Lin Nan with utmost respect and addressed him as "Dao Lord".

In the Heavenly Court, Lin Nan's prestige has reached an extremely high level, even comparable to that of the Jade Emperor. (End of Chapter)